Buckle.



No. 740,266. PATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903.

W. FREEMAN. BUCKLE.

APPLIUATIOK FILED MAY 14, 190;}.

F0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1..

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No. 740,266. PATENTBD SEPT. 29, 1903. 'W. FREEMAN.

BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1903.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

0 INVE'ITOR Atlqrney UNITED STATES i atented September 29, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM FREEMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HARRIS SUS- FENDER. COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,266, dated September 29, 1903. Application filed May 14. 1993; Serial No. 157,110. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FREEMAN, a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefuldmprovements in Buckles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in adjustable slides for suspenders and the like, the object of the invention being to provide improvements of this character which will be extremely cheap to manufacture, neat and attractive in appearance, and mechanically perfect for the uses for which it is intended.

With this object in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation, illustrating the preferred form of my invention. Fig. 1 is a section on the line m as of Fig.1. Figs. 2 and 3 are views in detail thereof. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are views illustrating modifications.

1 represents a portion of a Suspender-strap, and 2 my improved slide thereon. The slide proper comprises a frame composed of a single piece of wire bent as shown, forming a rectangular or oblong'open frame with intermediate lugs 3 between them, which latter are spaced apart, as shown, for convenience in forming the frame or slide. For the purposes of illustration I will designate the upper horizontal member 4, the lower member 5, and the intermediate member or lugs 3. The upper member 4 is open at its central portion to receive the outwardly-bent ends 9 of my improved movable member or clamping-jaw 6, which comprises a piece of wire bent between its ends in the form of a loop 7, then extending parallel and side by side for a short distance, as shown at 8, the part 8 being bent to form a recess 8" to receivethe member 5 of the frame, and the forward portion of the jaw 6 is bent outward in opposite 5o directions, forming the bent ends 9", above sheet-metal plate 9.

referredto. These bent ends lie in the plane of the upper member 4 and are pivotally' secured to said upper member 4 by means of a This metal plate 9 is of a general shape and is bent into cylindrical form around the adjacent ends of member 4 and the ends 9, and the shorter member of said plate 9 is bent around the contracted portion 8 of the clamping-jaw to rigidly secure the plate thereto. An intermediate portion of said plate 9 is toothed or serrated, and this toothed portion 10 is left straight, so that when the jaw is swung downward the teeth will engage the strap 1, as will now be explained.

In operation one end of the strap 1 is passed around the intermediate member or lugs 3 and stitched, as shown at 1. The other end of the strap is passed up between the intermediate member or lugs 3 and the upper and lower members 4. and 5, as clearly shown, and when the jaw is swung down its toothed portion 10 will engage the strap between the members 3 and 4t and prevent movement of said strap. To adjust the strap, the I jaw is raised, when the strap can be freely adjusted in the frame or slide or the loop on the strap,

and when the proper adjustment is secured the jaw is swung down, and the teeth not only engage the strap, but also clamp it against the intermediate member 3 of the frame or slide and prevent any movement of the strap.

In Figs. 4 and 5 1 illustrate a modification in which the frame 11 is stamped from sheet metal and the jaw 12 mounted upon the central portion of the upper member thereof. The jaw 12 is composed of a piece of wire bentbetween its ends, forming a loop 13, from which the ends of the wire extend side by side for a short distance, as shown at 14, and are then bent outwardly in opposite directions and bent around the upper member of the frame, which is grooved at 14:? to receive the same and prevent lateral displacement of the jaw. A toothed plate 15 is bent and passed between the outwardly-bent ends of the jaw and the frame,and the otherend of said plate is bent around the contracted portion 14 of the jaw to secure the plate thereto. The operation of this form of my invention is precisely like the preferred form, and hence need not be again described. v

In Figs. 6 and 7 I illustrate another form of clamping-jaw composed almost wholly of wire, and saidjaw comprises a wire looped between its ends, as shown at 16, then extending parallel for a short distance and secured together by a band 17. The ends of the wire are bent outward in opposite directions and provided with eyes 17, mounted in grooves 17 in the upper member of the frame 11, and the extreme ends of the wires are bent at right angles and sharpened to form prongs 18 to engage the -strap when bent downward thereagainst.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I illustrate another modification, in which the jaw is composed wholly of sheet metal. This jaw comprises a strip of sheet metalhaving aslotin one end, forming a loop 19. The other end of the strip is bent around the upper member-of the frame or slide 11 and is toothed at itsend and bent at right angles, so that when the jaw is swung down the teeth will engage the strap and 0perate like the several other forms of jaws above described.

In the loops formed at the free ends of the several forms of jaws described I preferably secure an ornamental tab 20 to facilitate the operation of the jaw and consequent adjustment of the suspenders, and while I have described myim'provements in connection with suspenders it is to be understood that it is adapted for use on other articles and I do not confine myself to suspenders.

A great many other changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I do not restrict myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention. j

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A suspender'buckle comprising a rigid frame constructed centrally with means for attachment of a strap, and a movable member pivotally connected with one edge of the fixed frame and having teeth to engage a strap passing through the frame, at a point in proximity to the pivotal support of the movable member and removed from the point of attachment of the strap to the frame.

'2. An adjusting-slide for suspenders and the like, comprising an open frame having three approximately parallel members, the central member adapted to receive one end of a strap, and a jaw pivoted or hinged to the upper member and having teeth thereon to engage the strap between the upper member and the central member of the frame.

3. An adjusting-slide for suspenders and the like, comprising an open frame made of Wire bent to form a solid lower member, lugs to form an intermediate member, and the ends of the wire spaced apart to form an open upper member, a jaw composed of wire having outwardly-bent ends located in the opening of the upper member, a plate bent around the adjacent ends of the upper member and the jaw to hinge the jaw in place, and a series of teeth on said plate to engage the strap when the jaw is swung downward thereagainst.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. WILLlAM FREEMAN.

Witnesses:

J AS. BECK, JOHN P. KLUG. 

